Inspired by an antique toile found in a wallpaper museum in France, this traditional pattern is truly a boot of beauty. A classic rococo print with a contrast gingham trim.

What do you think? I was also quite taken with PipDuck’s Noisette boots.

I’ve been wearing them in the garden, and I’m most pleased with the result! Much less soil and woodchip in my shoes, and my calves aren’t sprayed by the hose. (I even got to wear them out to the letterbox during a storm a little while ago!)

I did some pruning this morning, using the secateurs DrK brought me back from his recent European trip. (My boyfriend went to France, Belgium and England, and all I got were these lousy lovely secateurs… And some Versace perfume. From the Duty Free shop.)

They are pretty stylish secateurs – and they cut really well (much better than the el-cheapos I bought myself). They came from the Victoria and Albert museum; the pattern is ‘Anemone’ design, from a 1897 a wallpaper. There are other pieces in the set, and they’re available online from Amazon.

Summer was deadly hot in the yard. There was absolutely no shade, and the black pavers and woodchip did little to cool things down.

I planted a few veggies near the back door over summer, just to see how they’d go. I’ve since decided that wasn’t the best place for them, but figure they can stay there for a little while longer.It’s springtime now, and DrK went gallivanting around the Western Front for two weeks, so I decided to get busy in the yard!

As you can see in the pic, our back fence isn’t straight – perfect for a raised garden bed! (Thanks to mum for snapping the uber-flattering photo…)

I cut the sleeper to size, dug a shallow trench then hammered in 3 star-pickets on the garden side before nailing them to the sleeper. There was lots of checking levels with the spirit level and measuring distances from the back wall.

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

In the middle is a Manchurian Pear. They get beautiful white blossoms in early spring (we’ve missed them this year, but I am very much looking forward to seeing them next year!) and flame orange leaves in the autumn.

I also planted some Australian native violets, which will act as ground cover, and some slightly taller yellow Aquilegia to either side of the pear.

A couple of days later, I picked up a crimson Aquilegia, which I’ve put in behind the pear.